Applied Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 to my car

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The Critic

The Critic

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Hey guys,

I just finished applying Opti-Coat 2.0 on my daily driver - which is a 2011 Prius. Although my car had been well-maintained with a coat of paint sealant every 6-8 weeks, I decided to upgrade to a permanent paint coating in order to reduce maintenance. The Opti-Coat 2.0 product is designed to be a permanent coating that can only be removed with an aggressive compound - it cannot be chemically removed.

Prior to applying the coating, the paint was thoroughly washed, de-contaminated and given a one-step polish. I would have done a two-step correction on certain areas, but I was trying to preserve as much of the clearcoat as possible. Overall, I attained between 60-80% correction on most panels so I am fairly satisfied with the improvement. The total time spent was about 11 hours.

What was done:

- Wheel faces and barrels were cleaned with Eagle One Aluminum Wheel Cleaner
- Initial car wash was done with Meguiars Gold Class, grit-guard and P&S Wash Mitt
- Nanoskin Auto Scrub Wash Mitt (med-grade) was used to remove the bonded contaminants
- Iron-X Paste was used for the removal of embedded iron deposits
- Polish was done using a Flex 3401XRG and HD Polish. Uber Green, LC Orange and Meguiars Yellow polishing pads were used.
- Final wash was done by soaking the entire car in Optimum Power Clean (diluted 1:1) to remove any polishing oils leftover in order to allow for proper bonding of Opti-Coat 2.0.
- Opti-Coat 2.0 was applied to all painted surfaces
- Menzerna Power Lock was applied to the clear bra
- Tires were dressed with Optimum Opti-Bond

Here are some pictures that were taken with my iPhone. I do not have another camera so I apologize for the lack of detail.







On this particular panel, it came out near-perfect after several passes with HD Polish:





So far, I have only found one high spot from my application of the Opti-Coat 2.0. Hopefully I won't find too many more. Dealing with high spots is the most challenging part of the application process.

I will post some pictures of the water beading once I wash the car in a week or two.
 
Wow looks like a brand new car!

You guys in California are lucky that you can keep a vehicle so long.

In good old salty Montreal a car lasts on average max 10 years and it is rusted out.

How do you like your Prius? I was trying to choose between it and a Honda Fit.

Now fuel in Montreal is $5.50 a gallon, so it makes picking vehicles tricky.

We want a CR-V but we don't see much extra flexibility in owning one, and we were looking a bit lately at the Prius V.
 
Looks great!

Just curious -- was there a specific reason for applying Menzerna Power Lock to the clear bra vs. Opti-Coat or Opti-Seal?

I have XPEL Ultimate on my vehicle and currently use Opti-Seal on those surfaces. Wondering if I should consider an alternate product.

Thanks!
 
Looks great! Why did you re-wash after polishing? Ive never done that - never knew I should!
 
JHZR2 -

It is because there are polishing oils that can interfere with the bonding of Opti-Coat on the paint.

The Critic - Please feel free to correct if I am wrong.
 
Instead of re-washing after polishing a mix of half distilled water and half rubbing alcohol can be used. Also known as an IPA wipe down. Use an ultra-plush microfiber to dry off.

How did you like the Iron-X paste?

I think the medium grade nanoskin was probably too harsh which resulted in all those micro-scratches on one of your before pictures. Also the claying/nanoskin should be done AFTER the Iron-X paste is used.

Pictures look very good!
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Looks great! Why did you re-wash after polishing? Ive never done that - never knew I should!

I do, too, even though I don't use a product like Opti-Coat. I just feel better knowing all polish residue and dust is off of the finish, out of cracks, and off of the glass before I wax.
 
Hold on a second there buddy! Other people might give you a pass but I am not. You are getting called here on the carpet my friend!! (Well, because you *are* my friend :)

Quote:
Although my car had been well-maintained with a coat of paint sealant every 6-8 weeks


Your before and after picture in the other topic
null_zps6bce5dae.jpg

does NOT seem to jive with that claim at all!

I can guarantee you that my one year paint looks *lot* better than yours and all I have done to my car is no touch car wash once and applied Wet Paint Glaze once. On top of it, my car already went through New England winter and is daily driver and has 15K miles on it in one year.

So, whatever you were doing to your paint, you need to re-think your detailing techniques.

Let the fire works begin.
 
Last edited:
Also, when using clay or the nanoskin use LIGHT pressure when rubbing it across the paint. When you feel it not grabbing the paint then stop. Less is more. I think that medium grade nanoskin marred up the paint.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas

I can guarantee you that my one year paint looks *lot* better than yours and all I have done to my car is no touch car wash once and applied Wet Paint Glaze once. On top of it, my car already went through New England winter and is daily driver and has 15K miles on it in one year.

So, whatever you were doing to your paint, you need to re-think your detailing techniques.

Let the fire works begin.

My car has probably been washed over 125 times, and a significant number of those washes were in an a tunnel wash where the same side brushes washed the lower door panels and the wheels. I was actually quite surprised that most of the lighter swirls came right out with HD Polish - which isn't very aggressive at all.

Originally Posted By: satinsilver
Also, when using clay or the nanoskin use LIGHT pressure when rubbing it across the paint. When you feel it not grabbing the paint then stop. Less is more. I think that medium grade nanoskin marred up the paint.

It's hard to say. The car has never seen a full polishing until now. I have polished a few areas here and there, but possibly not with the correct technique before. It has also seen a lot of automatic car washes, which I no longer plan to visit.

However, any moderately aggressive clay (or Nanoskin) has the potential for marring. This is normal and expected, but is usually not a major concern as most paint finishes have a lot of swirls.
 
How in the world did you manage to wash and wipe your car for 125 times in couple of years? Your paint would have been in better condition if you had left your car alone ~/~
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
How in the world did you manage to wash and wipe your car for 125 times in couple of years? Your paint would have been in better condition if you had left your car alone ~/~


I've had the car since June 2011 and wash every 5-6 days on average.

That's another big reason for OC 2.0 -- it keeps the car cleaner, longer. Most paint sealants attract a lot of dust, hence the need for frequent washing.
 
Originally Posted By: TIGguy
No matter how hard you rub... it's still a Prius!


OK, I'll bite. What kind of POS are you driving yourself that makes you smug and insult other people?
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
That's another big reason for OC 2.0 -- it keeps the car cleaner, longer. Most paint sealants attract a lot of dust, hence the need for frequent washing.


Nice job TC. That's a solid process you used. An IPA wipe down or wash after polishing is a highly recommended step. It really does enhance the bonding of your sealant or wax to the surface. Pretty much every polish sold has some oils in it that get left behind after the polishing phase. They need to be removed.

Your comment about sealants attracting dust is interesting. Here in FL, I have observed that waxes are much more prone to "hold on to" dust and keep it on the surface, versus sealants which tend to be slightly slicker and release it more readily. I actually did a test years ago where I split the car down the middle with 476 on one half and Ultima on the other half. It wasn't a massive difference, but the sealant side did retain less dust.

Either way, great job and thanks for sharing.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I don't think total car washes in my 50+ lifetime would amount to 125 :)


Ah, I remember back in high school and shortly thereafter, washing my car roughly weekly (that means by hand). Now, its more like semi-annually. Priorities change.

Critic - you are very dedicated to over maintenance. While I'd hate to feel the need to treat my vehicles the same, I'd love to buy a used vehicle from an owner like you.
thumbsup2.gif
 
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